White Hollow
by Ingridinwonderland
Summary: It was then that the woman bared her unnaturally sharp teeth and pounced, arms reaching for his throat and her eyes devoid of life. It was then that his eyes became a mixture of orange and gold. It was then that fire shot from his fingertips
1. Chapter 1

December 24th 1985 - White Hollow Orphanage

A loud knock on the front door woke Nan from her slumber. Glancing tiredly at the clock, the old woman grumbled and pushed herself to her feet. It was almost midnight, and the kitchen was filled with smells of honey and turkey, and the gravy that was slowly cooking on the stove. Christmas had never been a happy time for the young people of the orphanage, or the older ones in particular. They woke each year with sadness in their hearts, longing for the warmth of a family, of parents. Nan liked to make the day extra special for them. As her mother used to say, the tree must always have presents under it, and the bellies must always be full. She made her way along the dimly lit hallway, leaning against the wall to steady herself as she moved. She had worked at the orphanage since she was a child herself, and her mother had worked here before her. She would be at the orphanage three days a week, and as her mother worked sweeping the floors and washing the windows, Nan would play with the youngest of the children. But those days were long gone; she was now a woman of 74, and getting older every day.

She reached out a trembling hand and heaved open the heavy wooden door, letting in a hurricane of wet snow and ice cold wind which sent a chill through her spine. Lifting a hand to shade her emerald eyes from the snow, Nan peered into the night.  
She could barely make out the shapes if the tress and the distant houses, the darkness surrounded them, making them almost invisible. There was no sign of whomever had knocked on the door, no footprints were left in the snow. Nan shook her head in annoyance. Kids often played this game, knocking on the door and then running as fast as they could. With a weary sigh, she pushed the door closed, but as she turned to head back to the kitchen a shrill cry pierced the deafening silence. Turning back to the door, Nan hurried to open it, pulling her shawl tighter around her shoulders as she took a few steps outside. At the foot of the steps lay a small bundle of cloth and blanket. If the blanket wasn't moving, Nan would surely have discarded it as a piece of rubbish, but there was no denying it. Lifting the bundle into her arms, she let out a gasp. In her arms was a baby, no more that a week old, with a St. Christopher around its neck and a photograph clasped tightly in its fragile hands. Nan moved as fast as her legs could carry her until she was in the warmth of the kitchen.  
'Mary! Diana!' She cried out as she laid the child on the wooden table. She removed the moth-eaten, snow-covered blanket that currently covered the child and gently wrapped him in warm towels. The baby appeared to be fast asleep and peaceful, not a care in the world as Nan once again lifted him and held him close to her chest.


	2. Chapter 2

[[ Hello :) thank you all so much for actually bothering to read this rubbish hah. I've been working on it for a few weeks now so it really means a lot. I don't know if changing up the timeline is confusing for you all, but I'm trying something new. Also, please review if you can. I love hearing what you all think x ]]

March 1994

The room was small and painted grey. There were no windows to let in light, only the door which was shut tightly behind Merlin the second he had stepped inside the room. He sat as still as a statue on the hard wooden chair, his hands clasped tightly in his lap to stop them from shaking. A large, bearded man sat opposite him, staring at him with a strange grin on his face that was making Merlin uncomfortable.  
'So, Marvin.' The man spoke suddenly, with a booming voice that made Merlin flinch. 'Do you know why you're here?'  
Merlin shook his head. He had need driven here three hours earlier by his foster mother, Gina, and left alone in the waiting room with the overweight, ginger receptionist that reminded Merlin of somebody that he used to know. He had been waiting for what felt like forever when finally the metal door opened and a giant had stepped out.  
'Do you remember the night that the orphanage burned down?' Merlin shivered. Of course he remembered that night. It had changed his life in more ways than one. He'd lost one of his best friends and gained a new home all in a matter of hours. Though he can't remember the small period of time in which the orphanage was burning, he remembers the trip to the hospital and the agonising pain that gripped his heart as his beloved Nan passed away, a smile still on her face. Swallowing his tears, Merlin nodded his head.  
'Alright.' The man smiled. 'Your mother- foster mother, sorry, was worried about these dreams of yours, Martin. She thinks you needed some help getting over them.'  
'I don't need help.' Merlin insisted, weakly. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously, as he had done his whole life. The dreams were nothing more than that; images that his brain created to fill the space as he slept. The dreams he could handle. It was the images that came to him while he was doing everyday things that taunted his brain and kept him awake at nights. It was the random flashes of burning wood and melting skin, or the sound of screams or the smell of fire that would cause him to stop in his tracks and fall to his knees in a heap of sorrow and tears. He knew he could never tell people that, though. He wasn't crazy, but he knew they would tell him that he was.  
'Theres nothing wrong with me.'  
'Nobodies saying there's something wrong, Martin. We're just concerned that you can't let this go. It was over a year ago, after all. You need to move on and focus on your future and not what happened that night.' Merlin let out an irritated sigh and turned his gaze to the window.  
'You weren't there. You didn't see-'  
'I saw the aftermath.'  
'Maybe,' Merlin scoffed. 'But you weren't in that building as it burned, you didn't have to abandon your friends to save your own life. You didn't watch innocent children burn.' He pushed himself to his feet, knocking the chair backwards. 'I want to go home now please.' He stated, willing himself not to cry.  
'But you've only just got here.'  
'I don't care! I want to go.'

'How did it go, honey?'  
Merlin slammed the car door shut behind him as he shuffled into the back seat, his cheeks burning red. In the seat beside him, his foster brother Mordred chuckled.  
'That well, huh?' Gina smiled at him through the rear view mirror and Merlin smiled back. Though he'd only lived with this family for a month, Merlin had never felt more like he was part of a family, though Mordred clearly disliked him. It was just the tree of them and their puppy, Excalibur, and Merlin had never been more content.  
As his bedroom door shut behind him, Merlin dropped his jacket on the ground and switched on the light. It wasn't as big a room as he had at the orphanage, Mordred had the biggest room because he was here first, but it was warm and cosy and it was his, and that's all the reason he needed to love it. It was his escape from school and from Mordred and life in general. It was the only place in the world that he felt safe.

It was the first day of a new term at Wyndivere primary, and rain clouds filled the sky. Merlin stared absently out if the car window, dressed in a scratchy white shirt and a pair of shoes that he barely fit into. They were Mordred's once, of course, most of his things were as Gina couldn't afford much. Small spots of rain hit the window and Merlin rolled his eyes. If it rained any harder, gym class would be cancelled and the class would have to sit in a classroom for an hour writing an essay on football or running or the Olympics, and in top of that the teacher usually just left them to it which meant the bullies would have an excuse to torment him for an extra hour today. As the cars engine burst into life, Merlin shut his eyes and rested his head against the cool glass window.

_...A scream echoed through the night, waking Merlin from his slumber. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, but he could see nothing. The room was filled with thick black smoke, and he began to cough... _

'Hey, sleeping beauty, wake up. We're here.' Mordred roughly shook him awake, a snide grin plastered across his face. Merlin glanced out of the window. The school stared back at him unwelcoming. Students filed in through the door, dressed in the same dull outfit as he was. Stepping out into the cold morning, Merlin waved Gina goodbye and followed the line of children into the school.


	3. Chapter 3

1989  
They had named him Merlin after Nan's old dog, and had given him the nickname Rosie as a joke because his cheeks were always flushed red. Before he turned one his hair had grown raven black and his eyes bright blue. He didn't grow as fast as most of the other boys had, by the time he reached the age of two he was only a little taller than a one year old, but that didn't stop him getting into all kind of trouble. The second he found his feet, he was climbing into the washing machines and hiding under beds in order to escape bath time. He would sit at the dinner table and draw shapes in his mashed potatoes with his fingers, wiping them on the other children to clean his hands afterwards. He was a cheeky young boy, but everybody loved him. He was a strange child; the nuns noticed that he'd never cry, not even if he'd hurt himself, nor did he act up like the other kids did. He merely sat where he was placed, or did what he was asked, in silence, taking in the world with a childish innocence. It was as if he understood everything he saw and heard, though he was only a toddler and the nuns knew that couldn't be true. He still couldn't talk, but Nan suspected that was because he simply did not want to, rather than him being unable to.  
He stood in the hallway with a child's broom in his hand, copying the older girl as she seeped the floor. It was something he did often, copying what the others did. It seemed to be his way of learning but of course the children sometimes found it annoying that this three year old constantly followed them around, imitating their every move and action. They never told him that, of course. Merlin peered up at the girl, whose name was Maria, and grinned widely. It was then that the front door swing open and a policeman walked in. Cowering behind him was a fair haired boy. He wore round glasses and had a prominent scar across the right side of his face. Though Merlin was only three, he knew the boy was afraid.

His name, he said, was Wilbur, and he was seven and a half years old. He appeared afraid of everything and everyone and Merlin found that interesting.  
'Now Will, it's nothing to be afraid of. You know it's not.' Mother Rose insisted as Wilburn looked at the statue fearfully. It had been there before the building became an orphanage in the 1800's and was slowly disintegrating; it had lost both it's right arm and it's nose. The nuns had taken to calling her Morgana, after the great witch, though they looked nothing alike. Rose held out her hand and coaxed Wilburn forward. He took a wary step and gripped onto the bottom of the nuns dress tightly.  
'What is it that has you so afraid, boy?'  
'She's watching me...' Wilburn stuttered. 'She's waiting for me to do something bad so she can take me away.' The boy buried his face in Rose's dress, the fresh sting of tears in his eyes. Merlin watched the scene from the base of the statue. Every now and again he looked up at her face, and a chill would run up his spine though there was no wind. He listened and understood the boys words completely; the older kids had told him the same story not too long ago. They say that she waits for a hold to be naughty, and she would appear at said child's bedroom window at night and take them away to a place called Avalon, where they would live forever as a tree. Merlin understood only half of the story, but still it didn't frighten him. How could a statue come to life?  
'Gosh darn it, I told those kids to stop scaring the little ones,' Mother Rose huffed under her breath. 'Now Will, it's just a statue. It's made of stone, you see?' She stepped onto the base of the statue and gave three gentle knocks on the stone. 'Stone is stone, it can't come to life not even if you wanted it to.'  
'Bu-but Lily said...'  
'Lily is a silly girl! She was just trying to scare you, that's all.'  
Wilburn gave the nun an unsure smile and loosened her grip.  
'Alright.' He didn't believe a word the nun had said, and he stared up at the statue with a sense of dread in his stomach. Did telling count as being bad? He had been sworn to secrecy by Lily and the others but he had broke that promise and now he was sure that he'd be visited by Morgana that very night. He turned away and looked towards his bedroom window. It was only three stories up, and with the tree branches and ledges that surrounded it any able bodied person could easily climb up to it.  
'Are you coming?' Rose's voice snapped him out of his thoughts, and he hurried forward and took the hand that was stretched out to him. As he made his way back into the building, he glanced back over his shoulder. Merlin still sat at the bottom if the statue, staring after him. A small smirk was on his lips, and for a moment Wilburn thought he saw his eyes turn red.

[[ I know, I know it makes no sense, but there is a reason for that I swear! It will all come together in he end :) ]]


	4. Chapter 4

November 1997

Another Tuesday, another day in the psychiatrists office. It had been weeks since he'd had a dream, a nightmare. Weeks since he'd even thought of that night, and yet he was still forced to sit in this office week after week. Every week he was asked the same questions; how are you sleeping, are you still having nightmares, when was the last time you thought of that night. And he always answered with a shrug of his shoulders because honestly he was tired of it all, of the questions and the ears that didn't hear. He glanced up at the clock that hung above the desk and sighed. It had only been twenty minutes since he'd arrived, and after his first appointment he's promised Gina that he would stay for the whole hour, since it was payed for and all.  
'I've told you, I haven't had a nightmare for a month at least now. I haven't thought of it in a whole either, not as much at least. I'm fine.'  
'Now, just because you think you're fine doesn't mean you are, Merlin. These things take time to heal properly.'  
'Really? Because I recall you telling me to get over it. Look, Doug, I really don't see the point of me being here,' Merlin sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.  
'You don't have to be.'  
'Of course I do. I promised Gina.' Merlin turned his gaze to the pile for books that sat near the edge of the desk. 'I never break my promises.'  
'Hmmm. Well, is there anything you'd like to talk about? Anything that hasn't already been mentioned?' Doug smiled the overbearing smile that Merlin had seen far too often and fiddled with the end of his tie. Merlin shook his head.  
'Nothing at all? Are you sure?'  
'Pretty sure, yeah.'  
'Not the sleepwalking, even?' Merlin raised his gaze to meet Doug's.  
'Who told you about that?' _Gina, of course_. Merlin folded his arms defensively across is chest and slid down in the uncomfortable chair, his eyes falling back to the books.  
'Your mother told me. She said you've been waking up outside, in the back garden, is that right?' Merlin remained silent. It was true, of course, that he had been waking up in random places like the garden or under Mordred's bed, and he had no idea why. Sleepwalking was Gina's suggestion but Merlin though that was just ridiculous. He never sleepwalked, why would he start now? Merlin assumed Gina had told him because of his most recent escapade. He couldn't remember getting out of bed that night and walking downstairs. He couldn't remember pulling a knife from the kitchen drawer, or opening the back door and heading for the kennel that sat under the oak tree he and Gina had planted when he'd first arrived. He was awakened by Gina's screams. A wet, sticky liquid covered his hands and his face, and as he slowly slipped into consciousness he realised that he was no longer in his bed, and that Gina was staring, as pale as a ghost, at the decapitated body of his beloved dog.

[[ I know the chapters are really short, so I apologise. Thanks to everyone who is reading this, and please review :) ]]


	5. Chapter 5

January 1994

Merlin stared at the animal and smiled. He was smaller than expected, the woman at the pet shop said she had gotten the age mixed up. The dog was a husky, brown and grey with ice blue eyes and a black nose. She had a green collar around her neck, and Merlin had named her Excalibur the second, after the sword and he loved her to bits already.  
He lay on his bed with his hands behind his head and his feet dangling off the edge. The dog sat above him, her hypnotising eyes staring into his own. Merlin knew that meant she was hungry, he had picked up on these little signals quickly. If he raised her left paw, she wanted a walk, if she nipped at your legs she wanted to be letter and if she just sat at your feet, looking at you, she was hungry. Reluctantly, he sat up and growled playfully at the dog before heading for the kitchen. There was nobody home; Gina was at work and Mordred had football practice, so he would be alone until 8pm at least. He liked being alone, it have him time to organise his thoughts.  
He took the box of dog biscuits from the cupboard by the sink and poured a generous amount into Cali's (the nickname Merlin had given her) bowl. The dog mewled a thank you and dived in.  
Leaning against the counter, Merlin stared out of the window. It had just turned Spring, and snow still covered the majority of the ground. He shut his eyes and let his head fall backwards. Snow reminded him of the orphanage, of his childhood and fe night that ended it. His memories were a muddle of fire alarms and fire. He remembers waking up and finding the room filled with thick black smoke. He remembers crawling to the door on his knees and reaching out for the door handle...

_ 'Hello?!' The terrified child cried out, his hands hammering on the warm wooden door. He tried to find the doorknob, but it appeared to have disappeared. There was nothing but the smooth door. He opened his mouth to tell again, but instead he inhaled a mouthful of smoke and started choking. In the distance, he heard a dog howl and cry. He fell onto his stomach and tried to peer under the door, tried to see of anyone was in the hallway. There was nothing but blackness. But then he saw the light, shining in through the window. He turned his head to look but the smoke had begun to blind him. He gripped the carpet as tight as he could and slid himself forward, closer to the window. In the distance there was a cry, but not of a child, of a woman. Gripping the rig tighter, he squeezed his eyes shut an held his breath as he willed his arms to move him forward again. The light was becoming distant, as the dogs howl seemed louder. And then, his hand was no longer gripping the deep red carpet..._

He was sat on the floor, his back against the fridge. Gina stood in front of him, looking down at him with confused eyes.  
'M-Merlin?' She stammered, crouching down. Seeing the terrified look in her foster sons eyes, she pulled him into a hug.  
'I'm sorry,' he whispered, over and over again. He felt Cali's wet nose against his cheek and have her a small smile.  
'What happened, baby?' Gina whispered, pulling back and wiping the tears from Merlin's eyes.  
'I thought... I thought I was back there.' He whimpered. 'I was back at the orphanage.'

'Hey there, twinkle toes.' A loud laugh came from behind him, and Merlin winced. Gwaine had taunted him from day one. He was a typical rugby lad; scruffy and tough and willing to pick on anyone as if his life depended on it. Merlin hated the boy, he'd never deny that.  
'Hey, I'm talking to you!' Gwaine gripped his shoulder roughly and turned him around, pushing him back into the lockers.  
'Get lost, Gwaine.' Merlin spat, straightening himself up. Gwaine chuckled and took a step forward, Merlin shrunk back.  
'Why don't you make me.'  
'Hey, princess, leave him alone!' Percival's voice echoed through the empty hall. 'You'll be late for class.'  
As he watched Gwaine rush towards his friend, he felt the back I his head grow warm, as of his brain was heating up. He ran a hand through his hair and let out a shaky breath.

[[ hey :) thanks to all who are still reading this rubbish haha. I thoughtit was time to bring in some familiar names, and here they are. Please keep reading and reviewing, it really means a lot x ]]


	6. Chapter 6

1997  
It was the usual routine; he woke up, brushed his teeth and got ready. One of the older boys ran a comb through his raven hair and did up the buttons on his murky white shirt. They ate breakfast at 7am, usually a mixture of cold toast, lumpy porridge and a cup of milk, followed by a piece of fruit. There were six rows of three tables, eight children sat on each side. Girls and boys were not aloud to mix, and you weren't allowed to excuse yourself until every drop of food on your plate was gone. The nuns sat at the back of the room, next to the door so they could watch out for anyone trying to escape the disgusting food.  
It was a Friday, some time in June, and Merlin sat staring at the bowl of mush with a disgusted look on his face. Opposite him, Wilburn wolfed his down as if it were sweet and made of chocolate. Merlin glanced up at the boy, and pushed his bowl towards him. Wilburn frowned.  
'What?' He questioned, his mouth full. Merlin pointed to his full bowl and then to Will's almost empty one.  
'I don't think so, pixie. I don't want to get in trouble.' Merlin shook his head rapidly and pushed his bowl further towards Will, his lips turning into a small pout. Will dropped his spoon and pushed it back. 'I said no!'  
Merlin folded his arms across his chest and kicked the bottom of the table. His ice blue eyes scanned the room. Most children were done with breakfast and had neatly placed their spoons and bowls and cups in the middle of the table, waiting for the others to finish. The nuns moved around the room, talking to the children and making sure everyone was well and happy. As he turned to look over his shoulder, Merlin's hand missed the edge of the bench and he fell to the floor, knocking the back of his head against the wall. He looked around the room again, but nobody was looking. Touching the back of his head, he felt something sticky and wet, and when he looked at his hand it was spotted red. He stared at his hand, his lips pursed and his eyes narrow. The world around his seemed to be turning grey and fading out, and he could feel a strange warmth spreading from his spine to his skull.  
'Merlin?' He felt as if his brain was on fire, as if the world had suddenly vanished and he was all alone in a strange, dark place that he'd never been before. Red spots appeared before his eyes, and suddenly he wasn't looking at a blood-soaked hand anymore, but at the faces of Nan and Wilburn. The world came back into focus but he was no longer in the hall, he was sat in his bed and the sun had gone down. He touched the back of his head, but he felt nothing. It was as if he'd dreamed it all.

That night Merlin lay awake, watching the heavy rain crash against the window pane. The wind was hurricane like, causing trees to fall and roofs to collapse. There was a quick flash of light, followed by a deep rumble of thunder in the distance.  
Next to his bed was a nightlight. It was small and blue and it casted shapes and shadows on the high walls. There were clowns doing handstands and elephants on tightropes, and if Merlin squinted his eyes enough they looked as if they were alive. Pushing the covers from his too-warm body, Merlin sat up and rested his head against the headboard. From his window he could see the nearby church, which stayed lit up and open all through the night for the homeless people that needed shelter from bad weather.  
Another flash of lightning lit up the room, brightening even the darkest corners and crevices. Merlin pulled his knees to his chest and hugged them close. As he focused on the wall, he trembled. A sudden gust of cold air surrounded him, chilling his bones. The lightening died. The clowns that danced across the walls. seemed to stop, and Merlin glanced to the nightlight expecting it to have stopped turning also. It had not. Looking back, the wall seemed smaller and darker, as if the darkness ha consumed it. It appeared to sway as the trees did, back and forth in a hypnotising dance that Merlin could only stare at. Even in the darkness he could see it, bending into shapes and crawling across the walls. It did not look human, not like a ghost, but somewhere in between. Merlin knew it was not his imagination, because the room lit once more for a brief second and it was still there. She was still there, standing tall and unmoving. He could only assume that he was dreaming. The hairs on his arms stood straight, and a chill ran through his bones as the woman moved closer, but she was not walking. She was almost gliding across the floor, her arms outstretched and the space where her eyes should be glowing white. Merlin shuffled backwards, but he was already against the wall. He reached out for the blankets and pulled them up to his chin. He did not blink, he couldn't, he was entranced by the dream that was crawling closer and closer to where he sat, frozen. She looked familiar somehow, and yet he couldn't think of who she reminded him of. The woman stood at the foot of his bed, unmoving. Unreal. It was then that another flash of lightning hit. It was then that the woman bared her unnaturally sharp teeth and pounced, arms reaching for his throat and her eyes devoid of life. It was then that his eyes became a mixture of orange and gold. It was then that fire shot from his fingertips.

[[I realise that the first two chapters aren't as good, and I'm thinking of re-writing them. Thanks for the reviews and the follows, I honestly can't believe people are taking time to read my story. As I've said, it may not make any sense, but in trying to make it less boring for you all ;) please keep reading and reviewing x]]


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